Eagles executive V.P. of football operations Howie Roseman joined PFT Live on Monday morning, before word broke of quarterback Sam Bradford skipping out on offseason workouts and requesting a trade. I asked Roseman about the then-hypothetical possibility that Bradford would demand a trade.

“Well, Sam is entitled to his feelings but we’ve made it clear to him and to our fans that he’s our starting quarterback,” Roseman said. “We have an obligation to think about our franchise in terms of the total picture. We’re always making decisions that are for the short term and those of that for the long term and that’s our decision here. To invest in quarterbacks is a long-term decision.”

Bradford may be the starting quarterback for now. But it will be hard for Bradford to remain the starting quarterback, if he’s present only for the single mandatory minicamp of the lengthy offseason program. Here’s another factor working against Bradford: Roseman didn’t declare that the quarterback they take with the second overall pick, Jared Goff or Carson Wentz (Wentz), will sit the bench for his full rookie season.

Asked whether there are any circumstances pursuant to which the rookie quarterback would play in 2016, Roseman said, “I think that’s up to Coach [Doug] Pederson and his staff. We’re very fortunate. One of the other things we put into this decision is the support that that quarterback will be able to have. Whether it’s the quarterback room with Sam and Chase [Daniel] or our head coach in Doug who played in the league, coached the position as an offensive coordinator. [Offensive coordinator] Frank Reich, same background. [John DeFilippo] our quarterback coach with a lot of the same background. So that guy is gonna come along at his own pace. There’s no urgency and that’s kind of the model that Doug watched when he was here as a starting quarterback but I think we look at this for the long term and we have a starting quarterback here who we think we can win with for the short term.”

Pederson was indeed the starter in Philly at the outset of the 1999 season, when Donovan McNabb arrived as a top-five draft pick. Pederson started nine games before yielding to McNabb.

Bradford (or Daniel) could start as many or fewer before Wentz takes over. Regardless, Bradford’s absence, temporary or permanent, necessarily gives Wentz a chance to accelerate the timetable for playing.

Philadelphia is the red headed stepchild of the NFC East. I would take bacl the Cardinals in a heartbeat for this uncompeteive walking last place of a team. This is why 4th place in the division is called the Green Basement folks. And they have the nerve to say we don’t know what we’re doing as Division championship. You deserve to never win a SB.

its draft week Howie. Don’t you think you should lock down the drama and concentrate on your board? Lol. I remember the Eagles were contenders a few years back. No rings ever but TO almost singlehanded did get them one.

This one’s simple: Bradford needs to be a professional, a WELL-PAID professional that he is, and just do his job as the starting QB for the Eagles this year at the very generous rate of $18 million, while Wentz sits on the bench and learns.

If they dump Bradford in 2017 so that Wentz can take over, then so be it, such is the life of a professional athlete. Do your job, Bradford.

I seem to recall that when the Chargers drafted Philip Rivers, Drew Brees took it upon himself to step up his game and not relinquish the starting QB position, which he succeeded at for a few years until the Chargers finally decided to move forward with Rivers as their QB. But, Rivers never ‘beat out’ Brees.

Would be nice to see a little more ‘fight’ in Bradford, but I guess it is not part of his personality/make-up.

Bradford (or Daniel) could start as many or fewer before Wentz takes over. Regardless, Bradford’s absence, temporary or permanent, necessarily gives Wentz a chance to accelerate the timetable for playing.

Philadelphia fans demand loyalty; can’t see Bradford fitting this category with this whining and, besides, he’s a marginal QB at best. Eagles should consider all possibilities; it would not be unreasonable for them to trade Bradford and start anew given that Bradford was under the ancient regime.

Eagles are probably two years away now from serious competitiveness. Not sure about Wentz or Goff (or, frankly, Peterson as a HC) but I do like that the Eagles got nervy to move up in the draft. It may or may not work – but at least they are trying to do something and something that is intelligent.

Never thought highly of Howie but he’s smarter than Dave Gettleman apparently. We all know he won’t be on the team next year but he might as well try to get a draft pick from the Broncos for him and get them to agree to pay his full salary.

Your “starting QB” is afraid of competition for his job? Not sure that speaks well of him. Trade him to where? Every team needing a QB is looking for a long term, franchise QB and Sam is not likely that player. If traded, he would be a short term fix, much like his current situation. Better that he buck up and get to work. He has the job, work hard and keep the job by being a leader and quality starting QB.

Bradford will never get a deal longer than two years until he proves he can play, and play well, for at least one full season. His entitlement is despicable. Good luck getting any respect in the locker room, quitter.

No matter what his employer does, the only thing that will help Bradford now and in the future is for him to work as hard as he can to be the best that he can. That goes for anyone with an employer they’re not happy with. If he bags practice he’s shooting himself in the foot.

I don’t blame him….I don’t think it’s a fear of competition thing. I think it’s obvious the Eagles lied to him in talks to bring him back. And who wants to play for a team that gutted chunks of the next 2 drafts to get your successor instead of helping improve your team? Roseman is a cancer.

……I have to agree with most of the posts above…..Sam needs to come to camp and compete. He’s earning some serious $$$ and needs to be a professional. He’ll get traded, but when the EAGLES find a good trading partner. In the meantime play some ball !!!!

Let’s be real people. Bradford not going to Denver. They wouldn’t pay Kap who is better 11mil so giving Bradford 18mil deff not going to happen. Philly would have to pay 11mil of Bradfords signing bonus just to trade him to anyone and wont get more then a 4th or 5th pick. Talk about Philly jumping the gun overpaying him and now risk the future for unproven QB. Whats gonna happen when LA takes Wentz and Philly doesnt get who they want. Pretty bad when a guy is guaranteed18mil for 1 season in Filthydelphia and he wants out. Speaks volumes for that city and team

Bradford chose the Eagles because he believed (was told) he’d be the starting QB. Bradford wants to resurrect his career. Had he known he’d possibly be sat down 2/3 of the way through the season, he’d probably have selected a different team.

The leverage Bradford has is what his contract specifies. If he misses OTAs at a minimal cost, then it hurts the Eagles. But it also hurts him in that he may not perform quite as well, and be more likely to lose his jobs.

I think there’s a good chance the drafted QB doesn’t get to play in 2106 if Bradford is playing well, unless the rookie looks great. Thus Bradford should attend OTAs.

This guy has some nerve! He basically stole $ from the Rams. Just got paid crazy $$ from The Eagles & is complaining?? what has he accomplished to warrant any demand? Get paid & compete for your job. A joke.

mmack66: “What else should Bradford do, when the GM of the team he plays for slaps him in the face and says they traded up in the draft to try and get a franchise quarterback?”

Oh, I don’t know, perhaps prove to the GM that he is a franchise QB through his play on the field?
Drew Brees did it for 2 years after the Chargers drafted Rivers to replace him. A similar thing happened on the Bears (albeit a running back), when they drafted Cedric Benson to be their franchise RB but Thomas Jones kept his butt on the bench for 2 years.

“Bradford (or Daniel) could start as many or fewer before Wentz takes over. Regardless, Bradford’s absence, temporary or permanent, necessarily gives Wentz a chance to accelerate the timetable for playing.”

Oh, I don’t know, perhaps prove to the GM that he is a franchise QB through his play on the field?
Drew Brees did it for 2 years after the Chargers drafted Rivers to replace him. A similar thing happened on the Bears (albeit a running back), when they drafted Cedric Benson to be their franchise RB but Thomas Jones kept his butt on the bench for 2 years.
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There’s a huge difference in a team drafting a quarterback, that might be your replacement, and the GM of the team you play for saying that they moved up in the draft to get a franchise quarterback, implying that Bradford isn’t.

It’s hard to believe that a veteran starting quarterback would be so terrified at competing against a rookie from North Dakota (more than likely) that he wants to leave town and not come back.

Really?

Bradford has made a TON of money over the years without really doing all that much to earn it. Has he ever had a playoff appearance in the NFL? Has he ever played on a team with a winning record?

It’s almost unbelievable to think he’s had his feelings hurt because the Eagles are going to draft a quarterback. Bradford is a spineless, gutless, sissy whose only true talent apparently, is cashing game checks.

I would imagine Eagles’ fans think they deserve better than this .. especially for 22 million.

There’s a huge difference in a team drafting a quarterback, that might be your replacement, and the GM of the team you play for saying that they moved up in the draft to get a franchise quarterback, implying that Bradford isn’t.

There is another side. While I totally agree with the suck-it-up, your making a ton of money line of thinking, I think there is also another side.
Doug talked personally with Sam, and Sam noted that after signing. So one can assume Doug said he was the number one, learn my offense, and you dedicate to learning this offense and you show it on the field, you got a new 4 year extension. You learn and you produce, you are our guy…
I honestly think that was the plan, and not a bad one.
Then the move to 8, and then the chance to get to 2…
Just like I don’t blame the Eagles for taking that shot with the number two, I don’t blame Bradford for wanting out.
No one is going to cry for Sam because he is getting paid very well, but what he is doing isn’t about the money. This guy has learned how many different offenses from how many different offense coordinaters since being in the league? He totally was on board to learn another and all in and willing to prove it on a two year deal, which really if he excelled in year one would of been been renegotiated, or if he sucked or got hurt, would of been let go in year two, or if it was enough, have one more year…
Instead now he’s being asked to learn a new offensive system that he will be part of for one year…
If he was all about the money he could care less, but he knows his window is closing, and at this point in his career, if he is going to learn another system, it’s going to be one he’s actually has a chance of being in for more than one year. Why are we blaming him for wanting to fulfill a professional especially when the window for is as small as it is for NFL players, albeit slightly longer for QB’s, losing a year to learn a new offense, knowing that your window is going to close ever so slightly more…it’s like moving to another city to join an upstart BIO company developing cancer drugs…after working at that company your told by your doctor you got cancer and 8 years to live…the upstart says stick around for two more years, and lets fight cancer together…and on top if it you get a good contract to stay, as well as be a part of keeping yourself alive…then suddenly the company decides to drop cancer research, and instead change all it’s research into something else…and they say…sorry…you don’t mind hanging around for another year helping us do something that we said you also help you, but now is something that will just be a waste of 1 year of your life…but hey…were paying you well…and you still have 7 years to live…
I’m not crying a river for Sam, but lets not act like he’s being an ingrate.
Just wanted to put some perspective…like I said, I’m not crying a river, but this man wants to define himself, and his window is closing. When you got 8 years left to live, every year is precious…

Let’s turn positive. Bradford sucks it up. Has a great year. Leads team not only to the playoffs but, a deep run. Anyone think the Eagles don’t extend him and keep whomever on the bench?
Or trade one of the other QB’s??? The rookie contract for the QB doesn’t prohibit keeping him for a few years.